Australia gets its first female army chief, Susan Coyle

Written by: Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Australia will get its first female chief of army, with the appointment of Lieutenant General Susan Coyle to the post.

Coyle, currently chief of joint capabilities, is the first woman to be appointed head of any of the services in the Australian military.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the appointments of new military chiefs on Monday, ahead the government unveiling its 2026 statement on defence strategy and investment later this week. The appointments commence in July.

The current navy chief, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, will become the new chief of the Defence Force, replacing Admiral David Johnston.

Australia gets its first female army chief, Susan Coyle

From left to right, newly appointed Chief of Army Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, newly appointed Chief of the Defence Force Vice Admiral Mark Hammond and newly appointed Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley. Mick Tsikas/AAP

Hammond has commanded submarines and the Australian fleet. He has been chief of navy since 2022. As the second naval officer in a row to serve as chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), his expertise is particularly relevant as Australia deals with the AUKUS agreement.

Coyle, who enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1987, has worked at the tactical, operational and strategic levels and in command roles. These include commander of the Task Group Afghanistan and commanding officer of the 17th Signal Regiment. She replaces Lieutenant General Stuart as army chief.

Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley was promoted to navy chief from deputy chief.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said Coyle’s appointment was deeply significant for women in the ADF, as well as for those considering serving in the future.

Appearing with Albanese and Marles, Hammond confirmed that Australia had the naval capability to respond to any United States request for help in the Strait of Hormuz – although no request had been made.

Hammond said: “We’ve got 10 surface combatants right now, eight of them are at sea today. The navy is ready as it ever has been.”

Speaking earlier, Albanese said Australia had not been asked to help with a Trump blockade of the strait.

He told the ABC: “I want to see the resumption of peace talks. We want to see an end to this conflict. It’s having a devastating impact on the global economy, and the longer it goes, the bigger the impact will be, and the longer the tail will be, as well.”

Albanese leaves on Tuesday on his fuel diplomacy trip to Brunei and Malaysia, following a similar visit to Singapore last week.

Authors: Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra